EDITORIAL: Raffensperger makes elections later but safer

Published 2:23 pm Thursday, April 9, 2020

Two days after Wisconsin voters risked their health to cast ballots in that state’s presidential primary, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger postponed this state’s primary for the second time.

The Georgia presidential preference primary was originally set for March 24, and early voting was under way when Raffensperger postponed it the first time. The state had another major election planned for May 19, so the secretary of state just wrapped them all together.

Now all those races will be decided June 9 instead.

In a press release Thursday morning, Raffensperger pointed to the state of emergency order that Gov. Brian Kemp extended on Wednesday.

“Due to the governor’s extension of the state of emergency through a time period that includes almost every day of in-person voting for an election on May 19, and after careful consideration, I am now comfortable exercising the authority vested in me by Georgia law to postpone the primary election until June 9,” Raffensperger said.

The governor extended a shelter-in-place order until April 30 and the state of emergency until May 13. Under shelter-in-place, people who are out and about can face a misdemeanor charge. During the state of emergency, they’re still encouraged to stay home to minimize contact with other people, but there isn’t the potential of a criminal charge to enforce it. Either way, people would be discouraged from going to the polls because of fears of the coronavirus.

In some ways this decision does minimize the power of Georgia voters. On March 24, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden were still vying for the Democratic presidential nomination. On Wednesday, Sanders pulled out of the race. He may be on the ballot when Georgians go to the polls, but the nominee is pretty much decided in Biden’s favor.

In other ways, though, the postponement strengthens the voters’ power. There’s little doubt voter turnout will be greater if we’re not all concerned about catching a serious illness.

Locally, this will be an important election. There will be contested Republican races for coroner, clerk of Superior Court and two county commission seats, and there will be contested non-partisan races for probate judge and two board of education seats. Several state and federal races will be contested too.

Delaying the election was the right decision for public health, and it was the right decision to give Georgia voters the biggest voice in their government.

Good call, Mr. Raffensperger.